A shotgun can come handy in many scenarios, whether it revolves around home defense, sports and training, or hunting. It is very versatile gun and with a wide array of types on the market you’re sure to find one that suits your purpose. Below is a quick look at the different types of shotguns categorized based on gauge, action, and purpose.
Pump Shotguns
This is the most common category of shotguns you will come across. The majority of first-timers opt for this type of shotgun because it is reliable, easy to use, as well as inexpensive when compared to alternative types. Pump-action shotguns require the shooter to push shells into the magazine tube, which runs parallel to the barrel right beneath it. After loading in shells, the shooter has to chamber a shot by pulling the fore-end or the pump handle backward and forwards, to ready the shotgun for firing. The shooter is required to repeat this manual action before and after each shot.
When the fore-end is pulled towards the body after a shot is fired, the shotgun will throw the empty shell out of the chamber, and as the shooter pushes the pump handle back in place, it will chamber a new shell into position for firing. With a manual entire process is non-mechanical therefore the action is very reliable and you won’t run into any issues or mechanical errors, however with mechanics automatic components can become compromised resulting in failure. As long as the action is handled properly, however, there shouldn’t be any expected road bumps. Note that although these types of shotguns are perfect to be used in all situations, firing speed will depend on how quickly the shooter actuates the pump. This might make pump-action shotguns a bit slower in regard to follow-up shots.
Semi-Automatic Shotguns
This category of shotgun has become increasingly popular in recent years because of its vastly improved reliability. Because the shotgun automatically loads the next shell in the magazine tube after a shot is fired, it is also much easier to use. When it comes to certain models, the shooter is only required to push the shells once into the magazine, pull back and release the bolt, and then simply pull the trigger to fire one shot at a time until the magazine is empty. The mechanical function here ejects empty shells and reloads the gun very quickly, which means that the shooter can have very fast follow-up shots with semi-automatic shotguns.
These types of shotguns are also used for varied purposes such as hunting, trap shooting, and in-home defense. They come with higher magazine capacities as well. However, the main drawback here is that semi-automatic shotguns are a bit more expensive than pump-action shotguns. Besides, some models can only have specific types of ammunition, as gas released from firing the shells is what powers the ejecting and reloading action. The wrong amount of gas can jam the function. Moreover, users are also required to properly clean the shotgun occasionally in order to keep it free of mechanical issues.